New Game, New Rules
by Carlos.J
Summary: When an opportunity too great to ignore presents itself and a piece of unexpected news unfolds, are the battle lines about to be redrawn? (Sequel to 'Stockholm Calling', third instalment of 'Friday Nights Required'.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, so here is the sequel to 'Stockholm Calling', third instalment of 'Friday Nights Required'! I had begun this a few weeks ago but wanted to make sure the opening scene was perfect as it inevitably will set up the tone for the rest of the piece. **

**Please please do review, let me know what you're thoughts and feelings are on the chapter and I will endeavour to update as soon as I get the chance! **

**I really hope you all enjoy, here we go again! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Six Months Later**

Groaning as the alarm began to blare, a rather uncoordinated arm appeared from under the duvet, flailing around until it came into contact with the offending object, effectively smacking it into silence. Hanssen rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes, reaching out to flick on the bedside lamp. Blinking at the blinding light, he swung his legs out of the bed, feeling the soft carpet beneath his feet and rubbed his eyes before forcing himself to stand up and head to the en-suite. The house was fairly cold, the heating not due to kick in for another hour and he shivered as he quickly washed and dressed. Downstairs, he made breakfast as he listened to the radio, which was giving its' daily traffic update. For a change, it appeared there were no incidents to report, giving Hanssen some hope for the day ahead. Devouring his toast and draining his coffee, he looked up at the clock and headed for the stairs. Pausing on the landing, he tapped lightly on the door, listening for any sounds of movement.

"Eleanor?" he said loudly as he knocked again. He heard a muffled reply and opened the door a crack, his eyes finding the teenager cocooned in her duvet and out for the count. "Eleanor, time to get up." he said gently as he crossed the room and turned on the bedside lamp, depositing the mug of tea he'd made on the small table. Her eyes opened and she smiled sleepily, pushing herself up in the bed while yawning widely.

"Thanks." Hanssen nodded and made his way towards the door.

"I should be finished by 6pm tonight...do you want to cook together when I get in?" She smiled and nodded eagerly. Smiling in return, Hanssen said goodbye and headed back downstairs, gathering his bag and coat before heading out the door.

* * *

Pulling into his parking space, Hanssen couldn't help but feel a little sadness at the empty Deputy's space beside his. Sighing and telling himself to get on with it, he exited the car and headed across the wet, deserted car park and into the Hospital. Winter had arrived with a vengeance and the days were getting much shorter, allowing hardly any daylight at all. It was the time of year where many people found their spirits and moods dipping in reaction to the gloom surrounding them.

"Good morning." Elliot beamed as he stood clutching a coffee for warmth, awaiting the lift.

"Good morning Professor Hope, I trust all is well with our patient Mrs Dunmeyer?" Elliot nodded eagerly and the pair stepped into the lift.

"Yes, the Hertzig is working at full capacity, Mrs Dunmeyer herself says she hasn't felt this good in years. Obviously we will keep her closely monitored, but I'm feeling confident!" Hanssen nodded at Elliot's obvious excitement.

"Good. Any change do let me know." He swept from the lift and headed to his office. Closing the door heavily behind him, he crossed the room and placed his briefcase on the desk beside the only photo in the room, of himself and Serena at a party during the summer. Staring at the picture for a moment, he found himself smiling back at their happy faces. He would be the first to admit that he very rarely socialised or had his photo taken...smiling no less...but since falling in love with Serena, he had definitely changed. She brought out the side of him that he hadn't known existed...the _happy _side. Sighing, he hung up his coat and checked his messages. Removing last night's paperwork from his briefcase, he moved over to the filing cabinet and sorted it into its' proper places before the phone rang, causing his heart to skip a beat. Crossing the room swiftly he picked up the receiver. "Henrik Hanssen?" He listened to the voice on the other end and nodded to himself. "Right Mr Spence, I shall be with you momentarily." Replacing the receiver, he glanced quickly at the photograph and shook his head as he left the office.

* * *

Pulling up outside the house, Hanssen turned off the engine and reached into the passenger foot-well for the groceries. He paused for a moment, taking a breath to clear his head after a busy day and became Henrik, not Mr Hanssen. Exiting the car, laden with bags, he locked it and made his way to the house. Stepping into the hallway, the heat washed over him and he let out a small shiver. Closing the door behind him he moved into the kitchen, depositing the bags and calling for Eleanor. Appearing from the living room, she looked through the bags and tried to guess what they were going to be making.

"Lasagne?" she asked, turning to face him and he smiled, nodding. "Cool." She began to remove the groceries from the bag whilst Hanssen checked his phone for what felt like the 100th time that day...still no messages. Sighing as he placed it on the counter, he shrugged out of his suit jacket and began to heat up the oven. Cooking with Eleanor was always fun and they'd done so almost every night for the past week or so. Her knowledge of cooking was already fairly extensive but was growing even more with each meal they prepared. Working harmoniously side by side, they listened to the radio and Hanssen asked about her day, listening to her account of someone's awful break-up. Nodding along and making the correct sounds in the correct places, the time passed quickly and soon the lasagne was ready for the oven.

"While that's cooking, how about we tidy the living room?" He knew there was quite a mess in there as Eleanor had had friends over last night and he hadn't had the energy to tidy it once they'd left. Rolling her eyes, in a way which resembled her mother, she led the way into the other room and they began to clear up the used crockery, discarded sweets wrappers and jumbled DVD's. They sat down to dinner and were both impressed with what they had created. They discussed what they were going to do that weekend as Hanssen's phone began to ring. Looking at the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat as he looked up at Eleanor's knowing gaze. "I'll be right back." he said, getting up from the table and heading for the kitchen. Once he'd closed the door behind him, he answered the call and couldn't help but smile broadly.

* * *

"Let's get FBC's U's & E's and an LFT please nurse Carter." ordered Hanssen as he handed her the patient file and made his way across AAU and to Michael Spence. "There was a patient you wanted me to see?" Michael nodded and glanced across the ward to the far bed containing an elderly woman clutching tightly to a string of Rosary Beads. Nodding in understanding, Hanssen made his way over to her, stopping at the end of the bed as she looked up at him and smiled.

"You've come to persuade me to have the surgery?" she asked knowingly as Hanssen stood up straighter and nodded.

"You are very ill Ms Wilson, surgery is necessary for your recovery." She continued to stare at him and narrowed her eyes slightly.

"You have no Faith, do you?" Hanssen paused but shook his head.

"No I do not. I believe in medicine." She chuckled and flinched slightly.

"Well I believe everything happens for a reason. If this is my time, then I accept that."

"How long have you known about the Cancer?" Hanssen asked, moving to the side of the bed as Ms Wilson pushed herself up against the pillows.

"Quite a while. I think of it as a purge. I must have done something awful..._sinned_...and now my body and soul is being purged of wickedness. If the Lord has seen fit to give me this disease, what right have I to disagree?" Realising that sadly, he wasn't going to change her mind right now, he nodded stiffly.

"I would advise you to have the surgery, but ultimately it's your choice." He bowed his head slightly and returned to Michael Spence.

"I suggest you transfer her to Oncology...they will be better equipped to deal with her state of mind than we are." Nodding, Michael picked up the phone as Hanssen threw her one more glance before turning to leave the ward as a stretcher burst onto the ward, heading straight for him.

"Mr Hanssen!" Shouted Sacha as he spotted the CEO who was already removing his suit jacket and rolling up his sleeves.

"What do we have?" he asked as he looked down at the young boy on the stretcher.

"This is Jason Simms, out playing on his bike when he was hit by a van. Has been unconscious since the incident, possible spinal injuries." Hanssen nodded as he gazed down at the young boy and felt dread building inside him. Right, get him hooked up and then book a full body CT." Sacha began carrying out Hanssen's orders as he listened to the boy's chest.

"Chest's clear." Moving his hands to the abdomen, he began to feel around and frowned. "Abdomen's distended...internal bleeding." he stated. "Get him to Theatre please!" Jason was wheeled towards the Theatre as Hanssen and Sacha followed, scrubbing in.

* * *

Sitting in the hospital gardens, sipping his coffee, Hanssen stared off into the distance, feeling the chill wrap around him and seep through to his very bones. The wind was picking up slightly and was adding to the chill, but he barely noticed. In a few minutes, he would have to go into the Hospital and tell a young boy's parents that it was very unlikely their child would ever walk again. In the accident which had knocked him from his bike, he had suffered a serious injury to his spine in the T1-T5 region, causing paralysis in the lower part of his body. Hanssen exhaled as he thought about how life could be incredibly cruel. In a matter of mere minutes everything could change and would affect someone for the rest of their lives. He looked up as he heard someone cough to his right and he spotted Jac Naylor heading towards him, looking slightly 'fuller' than usual. He smirked to himself, having learned a few weeks ago that she was in fact, pregnant.

"Miss Naylor." he greeted as she took a seat beside him and shivered.

"Why can't you sit inside like normal people? It's freezing out here!" she complained, rubbing her hands together.

"I came out here because I doubted whether anyone would follow me." he said, looking pointedly at her.

"Point taken. So come on, what's going on?" she asked, looking worriedly at him. He kept his gaze ahead as he recounted the days' events up until the moment she had joined him. "Ah I see. Have you not thought about transferring him to a specialist unit?" she asked as Hanssen nodded.

"Of course, but there would be cost involved." Nodding in understanding, she sighed and patted his leg gently.

"Better get on with it then...putting it off won't make it any easier." she stated as she stood up and held out her hand to him. Smiling, he took it and got to his feet.

"I don't believe I've congratulated you yet." he said suddenly, causing her to turn sharply to face him. She groaned at the smile on his face and rolled her eyes.

"Bloody Maconie, I'll kill him." Hanssen chuckled as they began to walk side by side.

"As interesting as that would be to watch, I'm afraid it was simply my observational skills which brought me to such a conclusion." he smiled, his eyes flicking to her stomach. "Well, that and the fact Serena told me." Jac smiled as she held a hand to her abdomen.

"She was the first person to notice, claimed my backside had dropped...eyes like a hawk!" They both laughed as they returned to the building and went their separate ways. Hanssen stood outside the side room on AAU and took a deep breath before entering and being nothing but Henrik Hanssen, CEO, medical professional.

* * *

Sighing as he checked his watch, Hanssen realised he wasn't going to get home for another few hours yet, too late to begin to cook anything. He reached for his phone and dialled the house number, Eleanor picking up the phone on the 4th ring.

_"Hello?"_

"Eleanor, it's me. I'm not going to make it home for some time yet, so why don't you go ahead and eat something then I'll eat later?"

_"Okay...shhh...no problem!"_ Hanssen frowned, he was sure he had heard another voice in the background.

"Is anyone there with you?" he asked as she chuckled.

_"No, the TV's on. I'll see you later."_ After she'd hung up, Hanssen stared at the receiver for a moment before putting it down. Sighing heavily, he turned back to his laptop and continued working.

Exhaling and leaning back in his chair, stretching, Hanssen looked up at the clock and saw the time...8pm. It wasn't as late as he'd originally thought it would be and he smiled lightly. Shutting down his laptop and packing away his work he made his way from his office and down to the car. Placing his briefcase in the boot, he climbed into the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. The drive home was fairly quiet traffic-wise and he made good time. Reaching the house, he pulled up beside Serena's car and turned off the engine. Staring over at the car beside his, he smiled sadly and climbed out of the car. Fetching his briefcase from the boot and making his way to the front door, he was surprised when it opened by itself and his breath caught in his throat.

"What time do you call this!?" she smirked. Hanssen stood still, frozen in place as the shock slowly subsided and was replaced by confusion.

"You're not due back until Friday!" he exclaimed as she rolled her eyes.

"Oh, it's wonderful to see you too." she joked as he dropped his briefcase and held open his arms, stepping towards her. Laughing as she stepped into his embrace, she kissed him deeply and raised a hand to his cheek. "I missed you." she whispered as he held her tightly and kissed her again.

"I missed you more." he replied, breathing in her scent. She stepped back and picked up his briefcase, leading him into the house.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Firstly, thanks for the lovely reviews! It's great to know the story is being well-received :) **

**Here is the second chapter, where we begin to dig a little deeper. **

**Hope you all enjoy, please feel free to comment/review! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"So how was it?" he asked as he stroked her hair, lying on his side and gazing into her eyes.

"It was beneficial, but I still don't see why it had to be so bloody far away!" she grumbled but smiled as he began to drop feather-light kisses from her cheek, down her neck to her chest.

"I missed you so much." he admitted as he buried his face in her neck.

"I missed you too." He looked up at her and ran a hand through her hair.

"I love you Serena." She smiled at the sincerity of his admission and leaned closer, kissing him tenderly.

"So, is the hospital still standing?" she asked jokingly as he frowned.

"Of course, don't you trust me to be able to handle things in your absence? It's alright for some, going off on courses, leaving the CEO all by himself!" She laughed and kissed his nose softly.

"How's Betanya?" she asked and Hanssen shuddered.

"Full of hormones." He grimaced as Serena chuckled. "They both came over for dinner the other night and I believe we visited every emotion possible in the space of an hour and a half. I daresay Eleanor will think twice before putting herself in that position!" Serena smiled and shook her head.

"Well I suppose some good came from it then! How's Fredrik?" She watched his face closely at the mention of his son and was pleased when it didn't seem to transform to fear as it used to.

"I believe he is doing well. The residency will end in a week or so and then they are hoping to get back to Sweden before the birth." Nodding in understanding, Serena snuggled herself even closer to Hanssen and exhaled in contentment.

"Oh I've missed this. I didn't think I'd find an empty bed so bad but it's so..." she struggled for the right word as Hanssen beat her to it.

"...lonely." He stroked her cheek and kissed her softly.

"It's been a long couple of weeks!" she sighed, closing her eyes as she settled into his embrace.

"Well technically, it was only 12 days." Hanssen pointed out as her eyes snapped open and she scoffed.

"Counting them down were you?" she asked as he leant up on one elbow, kissing her cheek followed by her throat.

"Absolutely. I needed to know how much making up I had to do." She giggled as he kissed her neck, causing her to squirm beneath him before her lips found his.

* * *

"Why don't you take the day off? You're not down to work until Monday." Hanssen asked as he stood facing the mirror, buttoning up his shirt.

"I know, but there's some paperwork I'd like to get ahead on...plus Ric's in today." she smiled as she crossed the room to him, picking up his tie and placing it around his neck. "Besides, you and Eleanor kept the house ridiculously clean...there would be nothing for me to do here all day." Hanssen watched her as she concentrated on doing up his tie, smiling triumphantly when she was satisfied it was perfect. "There."

"Thank you. I've had to endure weeks of no ties without you here to help me." he joked as she elbowed him in the side on the way to the bathroom.

"Less of the lip please." Hanssen smiled to himself as he heard the tap turn on and her begin to brush her teeth. He moved to the doorway and stood watching as she checked her reflection in the mirror and simultaneously cleaned her teeth. She caught his eye in the mirror and raised an eyebrow causing him to chuckle. This was what he'd missed, he realised, the simple things. Things like waking up with her, hearing her singing to herself around the house or simply being there to correct him on something. Having found 12 days without her hard enough to bear, he wondered how he would have coped had she taken the CEO position in London. Looking back now, he realised he wouldn't have hesitated in giving up his position here and going with her. He had spent his life working his way to the top of the career ladder but what was any of it worth without someone to share it with? Without the person he loved by his side, it all became a little pointless. He'd done what he'd set out to achieve when he joined Medical School and now it was time to step back and focus on his family.

"Hey, dippy-daydream, ready?" Serena asked as Hanssen snapped back to the moment and saw her stood in front of him, a questioning look on her face.

"Absolutely." Kissing her softly, he turned and led the way downstairs. Grabbing their bags and leaving the house, they climbed into Hanssen's car and headed for the Hospital. Serena was the one to break the silence first.

"Eleanor tells me you've been spoiling her." She said lightly, turning to face him as he kept his eyes on the road.

"In what way?"

"Well bringing her cups of tea in bed most mornings, then cooking with her in the evenings! You didn't have to give up your time to do that." she said quietly as Hanssen glanced over at her.

"I wanted to. She's a lovely young woman and I'll be sad to see her leave for University. I know she's not my daughter, but she's yours, and I love you." She smiled as she reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly, unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face.

"Well thank you." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back before releasing it in order to change gears.

"I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight, just the two of us?"

"That sounds lovely...providing I get all this paperwork done today!" she sighed, gazing out of the passenger-side window.

"You'd better get to it then." Hanssen replied, causing her to smile.

* * *

"Ms Campbell, it's so great to see you back!" Chantelle beamed as Serena made her way onto Keller, smiling in greeting to the young nurse.

"Thank you Chantelle, it's wonderful to see you too. Is Mr Griffin in yet?" she asked as Chantelle frowned.

"I'm not sure, my shift only started 20 minutes ago." Nodding, Serena made her way to the office and opened the door slowly, poking her head in the room.

"Hello old timer." she joked as Ric looked up at her, a smile spreading across his face.

"Well hello yourself." Standing and meeting her in the middle of the room, he opened his arms and they hugged before he kissed her on the cheek and leant back against the desk, watching her hang up her coat and bag. "How are things? How was the course?" he asked as she turned to face him.

"It was actually quite good! I'm feeling all reinvigorated and ready to hit the ground running!" Ric sighed loudly and frowned.

"Does this mean you'll be upping the pace around here...again?" Laughing, she sat at her desk and switched on her laptop.

"If you can't keep up, we'll have to find a more suitable place for you...I hear the groundskeepers are looking for another avid green-thumb." she joked, causing him to shake his head in exasperation.

"Well I suppose I'd better keep up then!" Returning to his chair, he returned his attention to his laptop and began typing away, Serena doing the same on her own. After a few minutes, Ric got to his feet and paused before opening the door from the office. "As you're not on the rota for today, are you actually _in_ or not?" he asked as she looked up at him and held up her hands.

"I am most definitely _not_ in...I've got stacks of paperwork to complete and could do without _any_ interruptions." Nodding in understanding, he opened the door and looked back.

"You're still having a lunch hour and we are going to have a proper catch-up. Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, he swept from the room and Serena chuckled as she turned her attention back to the screen in front of her. The moment was broken however, by the sound of her mobile ringing. Cursing as she checked the caller ID, she silenced it and placed it back on the desk, taking a moment to stare across the empty office, lost in thought. Her tranquil moment was interrupted yet again as the phone began to ring for the second time. Once again checking the caller ID, she felt her heart-rate increase slightly as she decided to take the call. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the answer button and held the phone to her ear.

"Mr Holmes, what can I do for you?"

* * *

Sitting in the hospital cafe, waiting for Ric to make his way down, Serena sipped her coffee and thought about her earlier conversation with Derek Holmes. It was clear he wasn't quite ready to take no for an answer on her decision regarding the post of CEO.

"Serena?" She looked up suddenly into Ric's amused face. "Anywhere nice?" She rolled her eyes and leant back in her seat as he sat opposite her.

"No, just thinking." He sipped his own coffee and began to tear into a sandwich he had just bought.

"About?" She sighed as she watched him struggling with the packaging and reached over, taking it from him. She opened it with ease and handed it back as he smiled in thanks.

"Good job you're not a surgeon, with hands that useless." she joked, but Ric wasn't distracted so easily.

"What were you thinking about? You looked troubled." She took a deep breath as she reasoned that maybe he would be able to offer her some advice on the situation, but quickly talked herself out of it.

"Nothing. Let's talk about you. How's Jess?" she asked as he tucked into his sandwich and nodded his head.

"She's as well as she can be, under the circumstances. She's adamant she won't be taking David back, which is a plus I suppose." Serena agreed as she took a sip of her coffee. "How have things been here? You and Henrik still going well?" Serena smiled as she nodded and noticed the raised eyebrow look Ric was giving her.

"Oh sod off." she muttered as she smiled. "Things have been going well. Same old day to day internal politics here, power struggles, fighting against the tide, the usual." Nodding, Ric finished his sandwich and eyed her curiously.

"How _is_ it with Henrik? Working alongside each other every day?" She chuckled at the thought of a recent argument they'd had before she'd left for the course. They'd been in his office and had been disagreeing on the correct course of action following a patient complaint. The argument had quickly turned heated and their personal feelings had spilled over into their professional ones. It was safe to say Serena would never look at the sofa in Hanssen's office in quite the same way again. Smirking, she sipped her coffee and placed it gently on the table.

"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. We generally do keep our relationship strictly professional here, obviously there are some exceptions." Ric smiled in understanding and whistled, shaking his head. Laughing, Serena folded her arms and her eyes caught the unmistakable entry of the man himself. She watched as he made his way to the counter, ordering his coffee and she felt her stomach flip over at the sight of him. Even now, months down the line, he still had the ability to send her into a state just by brushing past her or giving her a certain look. The plus side of them arguing at work was the making up they got to do once they returned home. Their frustrations and pent-up annoyance at each other bubbled away through the working day and was instantly released once they arrived home. Blushing as he turned and caught her eye, Serena looked away hoping he hadn't noticed the look on her face. Ric was staring at her intently as he felt a presence beside him.

"Ah Mr Griffin, Ms Campbell, mind if I join you?" Serena shook her head and pulled out the seat beside her. Sitting down, he handed her a bagel and she smiled as he leant towards her and she copied, kissing him softly.

"Oh I _do_ love you." she breathed as she took a bite of the bagel and sighed contentedly.

"The way to her heart, give her food." Ric joked as Hanssen nodded in agreement.

"That's one thing I have learned." Serena shot him a playful glare as she continued eating, feeling his hand come to rest on her lap. She watched as he and Ric began to discuss Jess and how she was doing and she couldn't help but feel completely and utterly content. She knew she'd made the right decision in turning down the position of CEO at St Augustines, but a part of her still couldn't believe she had done so.

"So did you learn much on this course then?" Ric asked as she nodded her head.

"Oh yes, evidently combining my skills as a Consultant and a Businesswoman has the potential to completely overhaul the systems we have in place here." Picking up his coffee, Ric grimaced.

"Inevitably, Keller will become even more streamlined then." Serena smiled dangerously.

"No, the _Hospital_ will." she replied, feeling Hanssen's hand squeeze her leg lightly and she turned to face him.

"That's something we need to have a meeting regarding. A form of _debrief_." he explained as she finished her coffee and nodded. She knew the reason Hanssen had hired her in the first place was so he could have someone to do all the dirty work for him and take the fall if any of it went wrong. She was more than willing to do that, but their current relationship had changed the dynamic slightly now as he was less willing for her to put herself in the firing-line. She supposed she should have been flattered that he cared enough, but it angered her to think he felt the need to 'protect' her. Some people saw her as ruthless when it came to the running of the Hospital because she was able to see the Business side as well as the Medical, but she countered that by doing so, she had the ability to change the system which in her eyes, was not entirely fit for purpose. They stayed and continued their chat for a further 30 minutes until Ric's pager sounded and he frowned worriedly at the screen.

"That's my cue. I'll see you up there." he said as he left her and Hanssen sat watching him go. Serena wasted no time in turning to him and raising an eyebrow.

"So what's this about a debrief?" Hanssen smiled at the forthrightness of the question.

"It's simply to sign you off on the course and back to work." She narrowed her eyes and turned to face him properly.

"Okay, when do you want to do it?" she asked suspiciously. Hanssen stood up and checked his watch.

"I have time now if you want to discuss it in my office?" Nodding in the affirmative, she followed him to the lift and they rode up to the fourth floor together. Stepping into his office, Hanssen headed straight for the desk and waited for Serena to close the door and take a seat. "Right, all I need you to do is fill out this form..." he explained as he rooted around in a drawer for the correct one "...then you're officially signed back in here." She nodded as she scanned the page and signed her name at the bottom before handing it back to him. Standing up and getting ready to make her way back to Keller, Hanssen's voice stopped her. "Serena...I wanted to discuss something with you." He watched as she raised her eyes and quietly took her seat again, looking at him expectantly. He hadn't broached the subject of the job offer from Derek Holmes with her as he didn't want her to feel he was pressuring her either way, but he could sense that over the past few months, her attitude to the job had changed. "I want to approach the Board about appointing you joint CEO of Holby City." He paused and watched as her face transformed to one of confusion and her mind began to work overtime. "I believe the hospital would benefit greatly from both our expertise and although you are already Deputy CEO, the position hardly makes sense." Serena knew he was right about that. The fact she was 'Deputy' changed nothing except lowered her pay packet and influence with the Board as opposed to being CEO. She was already doing the work of a CEO along with Hanssen which made her question why he suddenly wanted her to equal him.

"Why now?" she asked him as he blinked in confusion.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why...now?" she said slower as he pushed his glasses back up his nose nervously.

"You've been doing most of the CEO's roles since you began here and I think it makes sense to make that more formal." She narrowed her eyes and leant towards him.

"So it's nothing to do with the fact you feel badly that I declined the offer of CEO at St Augustines?" When he didn't reply straight away, Serena scoffed. "You have some nerve, do you know that!? I do _not_ want this role from some bizarre attempt at keeping me happy, do you understand me? If I was ever to take on the role of CEO it would be because I'd earned it. How dare you try and offer me a joint role simply to placate me." She stood up abruptly and could see the shock on Hanssen's face. "Why doesn't the daddy continue to be the big boss and the mummy will be the good little sidekick doing all the dirty work the daddy doesn't want to waste his time with, alright!?" Turning on her heels, she swept from the room and back towards Keller. Hanssen sat frozen in place, watching the door to the office swinging slightly with the force of the draught caused as she'd barged through it. Swallowing, he looked around the office and blinked a few times in utter confusion.

"What the...?" he mumbled.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hello to all! Thanks for being patient, I do understand how frustrating it can be waiting for an update but as this is not my day to day job, it is sometimes difficult for me to find the time to continue. So here is the next update, I am hoping to get another one uploaded in the next week or so, but again, this depends on my workload. **

**Please enjoy and feel free to leave a comment! :)**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Reaching Keller, Serena was almost vibrating with anger as she stepped into the office to see Ric rifling through the filing cabinet. He instantly noticed her mood and stopped what he was doing as she dropped down into her chair and huffed.

"Whoa, he managed to anger you in such a short space of time? He's talented!" Serena glared at him.

"Don't Ric. I am really not in the mood." Hitting a few buttons on the laptop, harder than was strictly necessary, she waited for it to boot up.

"What happened?" Something inside Serena snapped at that moment and she felt the anger explode inside her.

"IT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" she shouted as Ric held up his hands and stepped backwards as she stood up from behind the desk. "Do you think I like having my relationship with Henrik constantly hover over _everything _I do here? If I'm in a bad mood it must be his doing. If I'm upset, it must be his doing. If I came in with a bruised cheek from hitting myself on the bathroom cabinet, as is very likely to happen one day, that would probably be his fault too!" she ranted as she began to pace the room. "It doesn't matter what I do here anymore, our relationship is all anyone sees and I can't take it anymore!" she snapped as she stood still, her breathing heavy. Ric watched her as she shook her head and her shoulders dropped slightly. Heading for the door, she wrenched it open to reveal Malick and Digby stood on the ward, nervously watching the office. As they made eye contact, they turned away and tried to busy themselves. Serena turned to Ric and laughed. "Well that's just great." she snapped, waving her arm towards them, knowing her outburst would be around the hospital by the end of shift. "Perfect!" Leaving the ward and heading for the stairwell, she ascended the stairs, heading for the roof. She knew she'd been too harsh on Ric, but she couldn't bear the thought of her personal life overshadowing her professional one. She had worked damn hard to get where she was and there was no way she was going to let Hanssen promote her simply because he felt badly for her.

Stepping out onto the roof, the cold, crisp air hit her in the chest and she lost her breath for a moment. Walking to the edge and breathing deeply, she allowed the cold air to calm her as she listened to the distant sounds of the traffic below. Opening her eyes, she watched the traffic travelling along the dual carriageway in the distance and she sighed. She'd well and truly overreacted to Hanssen and had most probably terrified him. She knew the decision not to take the job would be a hard one, but she'd made it and now she had to live with it. She didn't want him feeling sorry for her or treating her any differently than he had before. What she wanted, was for things to go back to the way they were. She folded her arms as she began to feel the cold seeping through her shirt and she wished she'd thought to bring her coat. Hearing the door to the roof open behind her, she knew instantly who it was. His hands came to rest on her shoulders as he pulled her backwards into him and he wrapped his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder.

"You'll catch your death out here." he said quietly as he felt her lean back into him slightly. She remained silent and he knew he hadn't escaped her wrath quite yet. "I'm sorry." he said as she turned around to face him. She had a vicious look in her eyes and looked ready to launch another attack on him when he took a pre-emptive strike and pressed his lips to hers. He could feel her trying to resist but succumbing just as he had begun to pull away. The kiss was born from pure frustration and anger on their parts, her anger at him pitying her and his anger at her believing that's what he was doing. Breaking away, she gave him a look as if to say this wasn't over and he couldn't help but feel slightly excited at the thought as he watched her cross the roof and head back inside.

* * *

Serena stepped into the house, having stayed at the hospital for as long as possible, resulting in having to get a taxi home, to find Eleanor on her way out.

"Where are you going?" She noticed her daughter had an overnight bag with her which she slung over her shoulder as she rolled her eyes.

"Margot's...I _did_ tell you earlier." she reminded her mother as Serena nodded.

"Of course. Well have a good time and let me know if you need collecting." She kissed her daughter on the cheek and watched as she headed down the path and turned left to head to the bus stop down the street. Turning and heading inside, she listened for a clue as to where Hanssen was, but the house was silent. She grumbled to herself as she climbed the stairs and went to get changed, remembering Hanssen was taking her for dinner, though she wasn't sure whether he'd changed his mind or not. Entering the bedroom, she saw him stood at the foot of the bed, his phone to his ear as he spoke softly. It took Serena a few moments to realise he was speaking Swedish, so it had to be Maja, Fredrik or Betanya. She headed for the wardrobe as he became aware of her presence in the room and he raised his eyes to hers. As she was removing her over-shirt, he hung up and she turned to look at him as he placed the phone on the dresser.

"Fredrik." He said, indicating the identity of the caller as he removed his tie. He brushed past her and opened his own wardrobe, placing the tie inside, neatly. "I don't know if you still want to go for food or not. I understand if you don't." He didn't look at her as he perused the contents of the wardrobe, wondering what he could wear.

"You know what, you had no right!" she snapped as he turned towards her.

"Ah here we go, the famous Serena Campbell temper. Well come on then, let me know what I did wrong this time!" he said, raising his voice slightly. Serena looked at him and realised _he_ was actually angry. She had only seen him like this a handful of times and it riled her up even more.

"Offering me a bloody sodding job that doesn't even exist! What were you trying to do? Make me content with sharing a position that we both know only needs one person!?" she spat at him as he slammed the wardrobe door closed and stepped towards her.

"No! What I was _trying_ to do was give you a promotion! I was _trying_ to tell you, as CEO, that I think you are absolutely brilliant at your job and it's about time it was recognised!" She laughed angrily as she pointed a finger at him.

"And that had nothing to do with the fact I was offered position of CEO at St Augustines, was it!?"

"You know what? If you want that job, then take it! Don't you _EVER_ insinuate that I am holding you back! I would _never_ do that! I love you too damn much!" he shouted as she stepped closer and stopped suddenly. They stared at each other as their heart-rates increased and at the same moment they reached for each other. She grabbed Hanssen's shirt and pulled him towards her, their lips clashing together as she did so. She didn't even bother trying to undo the buttons on his shirt, ripping it open instead. Hanssen grabbed the hem of her top and yanked it over her head with no sense of being careful. This was pure frustration and anger which was bubbling over into their attraction and love for one another, creating an explosive combination. Hanssen was terrified of losing her, of course he was, but he would never stand in her way should she want to pursue the job and she knew that. She was more angry with the situation than with him and realised that life was taunting her, sending her the opportunity she had always wanted when it knew she couldn't take it. She felt herself being pushed back against the wardrobe as she reached for the zip of his trousers and his lips dropped to her shoulder. She pushed him backwards towards the bed and managed to get his trousers unzipped just as he pushed her down onto it. He pulled at her trousers, their lips maintaining contact as his hands roamed her entire body. He kissed her harder as he felt her reach for him and she was frozen momentarily, gasping loudly, as their bodies abruptly meshed together and she wrapped her legs around him.

* * *

It wasn't exactly the evening Hanssen had had in mind, not that he was complaining. He watched as Serena reached for the bottle of wine off the coffee table and topped up their glasses before resuming her position on the floor between his legs, leaning back into him. He kissed the top of her head tenderly as she dropped a hand to his thigh and stroked it gently. By the time they'd finished their earlier activities, they had decided it was too late to go out for food and had settled for reheating the lasagne leftovers with a bottle of wine. Cuddled together on the living room floor, Hanssen was enjoying the heat emanating from the fire as well as from Serena. Their escapade earlier had left him feeling fulfilled but also more relaxed. He couldn't quite remove the memory of Serena's reaction to their encounter from his mind. She hadn't been that passionate or carnal since they'd argued the last time. Evidently, angering Serena Campbell had it's up-sides. She sighed contently as she sipped her wine and let her eyes close momentarily.

Feeling Hanssen rest his chin on her head, she smiled to herself. Their earlier antics had been mind-blowing. The way Hanssen had reacted to her moans of pleasure had increased her lust for him until they were both releasing their tensions together. They hadn't been that vocal since they'd first begun seeing each other, but then again, they hadn't gotten quite so worked-up before. She sipped her wine and closed her eyes, feeling completely at peace with the world.

"I _am_ sorry." Hanssen suddenly said, Serena feeling the vibrations from his voice coming through his chest.

"I'm sorry too." she sighed, squeezing his leg tighter. This was one of the main differences with Hanssen and Edward. Hanssen knew when an apology was required and would make one, no questions asked, but Edward only ever apologised to her when he was drunk. He had never taken responsibility for any of his actions, whereas Hanssen did.

"I want you to take the job." he whispered as she froze momentarily before sitting up quickly and turning to face him.

"I don't want the job." she replied, staring at him.

"Yes you do."

"No, Henrik, I really don't." she replied, placing her wine glass on the table before turning back to him. "A year ago, then yes I'd have jumped at the chance, but not now. I'm happy where I am and I really don't want the job!" she said earnestly, realising that actually, she was telling the truth. "I can't think of anywhere I would rather be right now...it was only a job...but this is real life." she explained, reaching for his hand. "CEO was something I always wanted, but not anymore. _You're_ what I want now." Hanssen gazed into her eyes and knew she was telling the truth. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders be pulled her into a deep kiss before pulling back and smiling.

"Marry me." he said quietly, unable to stop the memory of the last time he'd tried this from entering his head. This time however, Serena smiled back and didn't hesitate.

"Okay." Laughing in shock, not quite believing what she'd said, his eyes grew wide and he stared at her as she raised a hand to his cheek. "I must be bloody mad, but yes I'll marry you." she chuckled as he held up a finger and got to his feet. She frowned as he left the room and returned moments later with a small box in his hand. Realising what it was, Serena looked up at him in surprise. "How long have you had that!?" she asked incredulously as he returned to his position in front of her.

"Since Stockholm. I was serious about you then and I'm even more so now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never thought I would ever find somebody I loved enough to marry, especially not the bane of my life; Ms Serena Campbell..." he scoffed as she rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement "...but I did and I intend to spend every day holding you, supporting you, _loving_ you." Serena felt tears spring to her eyes as she watched Hanssen trying to articulate his feelings...something she knew he found difficult. "Now, I hope you don't mind, but I thought we'd do this the Swedish way?" Serena shook her head to indicate she didn't mind and watched as he opened the box, removing two gold bands, one slightly larger than the other. "Traditionally in Sweden, the engagement band is plain whereas the wedding ring is the expensive, sparkling piece." he explained as Serena gazed at the bands thinking they were beautiful enough by themselves. "We can always do this the Western way if you'd prefer?" He looked suddenly nervous and Serena smiled as she shook her head.

"This way sounds perfect." Hanssen exhaled, relaxing slightly as he reached for her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. She gazed at it, watching how the light bounced off it as she felt Hanssen leaning towards her. Kissing her softly, he sat back and held up the second ring to her.

"In Sweden, men also wear engagement bands." he explained, looking slightly nervous. Taking it from him and holding his hand, she slid the ring onto the appropriate finger and watched as his face filled with emotion.

"Are we mad doing this at our age?" Serena asked suddenly as Hanssen stood up and pulled her to her feet with him.

"If there's one thing you've taught me, is that you're never too old, or broken, to love." he said softly, holding her to him and feeling tears making their way down his cheeks.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey! So I know it's been a real long time since I've updated any of my fics, apologies for that. I'm not sure if anyone is still reading this, but if you are, I hope you continue to enjoy it :) **

**Chapter 4**

Lying on her side, watching Hanssen sleeping soundly, Serena couldn't help but smile to herself. He looked completely relaxed, without a care in the world. Bringing her left hand closer to her face, she gazed at the gold band glinting in the light from the street-lamp outside. She didn't know what had come over her when she'd said yes, other than feeling it was what she wanted more than anything in the world. After divorcing Edward, she had made herself a promise, that she would _never_ allow herself to rely on a man ever again. Marrying Hanssen didn't necessarily mean she'd be _relying_ on him, as she reasoned their partnership was a very equal one. Hanssen had never tried to control her, he had only ever wanted her to be happy, no ulterior motive. Just as she began to close her eyes, she heard a sound at the front door, almost like somebody attempting to stick their keys in the lock but not quite managing it. Frowning, she leant up on her elbow and listened...there it was again. She swung her legs quickly out of bed, realising that Eleanor must have returned home after all. Throwing on her dressing gown, she descended the stairs and heard muttering from the other side of the door.

"You'd better not be drunk, young lady!" she whispered harshly as she unlocked the door and frowned in confusion as she came face to face with Edward. "What on _earth_...?" she began as he lurched forwards and she held out her hands to steady him.

"Serena... I didn't know where else to go..." As he found his balance, she gasped as she noticed the entire left hand side of his face was covered in blood.

"What the hell have you done now!?" she demanded, concern creeping into her voice as she brought him into the house and closed the door. She could tell he'd had a couple of drinks; she could smell it on him.

"It's nothing really, just got into a bit of a scrape." he replied as he leant on her, taking a breath.

"If you're going to be sick, get yourself to the bathroom!" she warned him as he shook his head.

"I'm not, I'm fine. Where's Ellie?" he asked loudly as Serena glanced nervously towards the stairs.

"Shh, Henrik's asleep. Ellie's not here, she's at a friend's house." Nodding in understanding, Edward raised a hand to his head and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I should go...I forgot you'd moved him in." Making a move towards the front door, he almost lost his balance again and Serena rushed forwards to catch him.

"Come on, let me clean you up at least." He nodded in agreement as she led him to the kitchen, flicking on the light. "Sit there." she commanded as she pulled out a chair for him. Heading over to the corner cupboard, she removed the first aid kit and placed it on the table. Taking his chin in her hand, she tilted his head and noticed the cut along his hairline was quite a deep one. "Edward, how did this happen?" she asked as she removed an alcohol-free wipe from the kit and began to gently clean around the wound.

"I was at the pub, stepped outside to make a call and some little scrote swiped my phone. I went after him, not knowing his buddies were waiting around the corner. They got a few punches in before a passer-by scared them away." He flinched as she wiped the wound and he rested a hand on her hip. "This was the first place I thought to come...I'm sorry." She looked into his eyes and smiled gently.

"Don't be sorry, it's fine. Did you call the police?" she asked and he nodded.

"Well, the guy who helped me did. I left before they arrived." Serena tutted.

"You never were very good with the law, were you?" Edward laughed as she motioned for him to open his legs so she could stand closer to him.

"If you're on about that time in Perth, then that wasn't my fault!" he protested as she scoffed.

"Edward, you held up your kilt to a pair of passing police officers and asked them whether they'd ever seen anything as mighty!"

"If I remember correctly, you found it hilarious at the time." Serena shook her head but smiled.

"Yes, _almost_ as funny as them arresting you!" Edward shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd had a bit to drink, we put it behind us the next day!" Frowning, Serena noticed a fragment of glass in Edward's wound and she bit her lip.

"There's glass in here...this _may_ hurt." Glancing up at her, Edward's eyes widened nervously. Reaching in with a pair of tweezers, she swiftly removed the fragment and held a wad of tissue to the wound as it began to bleed. "I think I'll glue it." she decided as she reached back into the kit, removing the skin glue. Applying a generous amount, she held the wound together until she was satisfied it would hold. "There. All done." she exclaimed, turning and beginning to pack the kit away.

"Thanks Rena." Edward smiled as she continued clearing up.

"You okay to get home?" she asked as he looked up at her sheepishly.

"I was wondering...if it's not too much trouble, if I could kip here tonight?" She paused and turned to face him, wondering whether or not he was actually serious.

"Wow, you _are_ serious. I don't think that's a good idea, do you? I've patched you up, now it's time to go." Sighing, Edward got to his feet a little unsteadily and nodded.

"Okay. Can I use your phone? To call a cab?" Nodding in the affirmative, Serena watched as he slowly and haphazardly made his way down the hallway. He may have a slight concussion, or he was simply drunk, Serena wasn't sure...but she knew she couldn't allow him to find his way home in this state.

"Wait." she sighed, going against all common sense. "Spare room, gone by the morning. Understood?" Edward smiled and nodded as she flicked off the light and headed towards him, letting him lean on her as they climbed the stairs. As she lowered him onto the bed, she flicked on the bedside lamp and stood back. "Well, goodnight." Turning to leave, she was stopped by his voice.

"When did he ask you?" His voice was quiet and seemed almost pained as she turned back to face him, frowning in confusion.

"When did who ask me what?" Edward looked down at her hand and that was when she remembered about the engagement ring.

"Tonight." she said, as Edward nodded and bowed his head slightly. Serena had known him long enough to be able to read him like a book and right now, she could see he was hurt. "Did you think I'd never re-marry? That I'd never fall in love again?" Raising his eyes to hers, he shook his head.

"I knew you would, but I _hoped_ you wouldn't." he whispered, lying back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Congratulations." he said as she swallowed and turned to leave the room.

"Goodnight Edward." Closing the door, she stood on the landing for a few moments, thinking about what he'd said. Shaking herself, she returned to her bedroom to see Hanssen had rolled over and was currently in the middle of the bed. Smiling, she took off her dressing gown and climbed in beside him, pressing right up against him until he slowly shifted forwards and then turned to face her, exhaling.

"Where did you go?" he mumbled sleepily as she snuggled into him.

"Nowhere, I'll explain in the morning. Go back to sleep." Hanssen nodded sleepily as he leant closer and placed an uncoordinated kiss on her forehead before wrapping his arms around her and drifting back off. Serena slipped into sleep, feeling safe in her 'Hanssen cocoon' and hoped against hope that Edward would be gone by the morning.

* * *

Waking up early, Serena gently extracted herself from Hanssen's embrace and pulled on her dressing gown before heading to the spare room. Nudging the door open gently, she could sense him before she could see him and sure enough, there he was, out for the count. Crossing the room swiftly, she opened the curtains and pulled back the duvet before poking him in the shoulder.

"Edward. _Edward_." she said loudly, poking him again. There was no reaction and Serena remembered what a sod he'd been to wake when they were married. Once he was asleep, he was asleep and very little would wake him up. She had been the one to wake in the night with Eleanor when she was a child as Edward slept right through. He'd often make promises that he'd do the night feeds, but never did. The one sure way of waking him up was to kiss him, he had always reacted to that, but that was definitely not an option now. Staring down at him, Serena sighed as she reached out a hand to his ear and pinched sharply causing his eyes to snap open.

"Oww, what the hell are you doing woman!?" he complained, raising a hand to his ear.

"It's morning, I want you gone." she said sternly as he rolled his eyes and held his hands up in defence.

"Okay okay, I'm going." he yawned as he sat up and watched as she made her way to the door. "I need coffee first though." He knew he was pushing his luck and smirked as Serena came to a stop and turned towards him very slowly.

"Help yourself. Hope you don't mind drinking it alone, Henrik and I prefer ours in bed...we work up quite a thirst." she smiled sweetly as Edward's face dropped and she left the room. Heading downstairs, she made the coffees and took two upstairs for her and Hanssen. Placing them on the bedside tables, she climbed back into bed and snuggled up to him, kissing his chin softly and mumbling his name. He began to stir and groaned as he flopped an arm over her waist and exhaled loudly, heading back to sleep. "Henrik." she mumbled as she kissed his neck, followed by his chest. "Time to get up." He frowned and sighed loudly as his eyes slowly flickered open and they met hers. "Good morning." she smiled as she leant closer and tenderly kissed his lips. He grunted as he blinked rapidly a few times and then frowned.

"Can I smell coffee?" he asked sleepily as he yawned and became more alert.

"You can indeed. It's on the bedside table." she said nodding with her head as Hanssen looked over his shoulder.

"Oh thank you." Turning back to her, he kissed her before pushing himself up in the bed and running a hand over his face. He took hold of the coffee mug and took a sip, grimacing at the temperature.

"Careful." Serena said gently, sipping her own. They were silent for a few minutes as they sipped their drinks when suddenly, there was a bang as the door to the guest room was closed, followed by footsteps on the stairs. Hanssen cocked an eyebrow and turned to Serena.

"Did Eleanor come home?" he asked and Serena cursed Edward's lack of concern for noise levels.

"No. Do you remember I got up in the night?" Hanssen nodded. "Well it was because there was someone at the door. I thought it was Eleanor but it wasn't...it was Edward." Hanssen's face erupted in confusion as he continued staring at Serena. "He'd been mugged and was bleeding, so I patched him up. It was late in the end so I said he could stay in the spare room. You're not cross are you? Because I'd completely understand if you were." Hanssen turned his head and stared at the wardrobe at the foot of the bed. Serena kept her gaze on him, trying to read him but finding herself unsure. "Henrik." she prompted, causing him to turn back to face her.

"No, I'm not cross. This is your house, who you invite to stay is your choice." She wasn't sure, but she thought she could detect a hint of anger in his words.

"I know it was a bad idea, but I couldn't just send him on his way, I was a bit worried about concussion if I'm honest. He may be my ex-husband, but last night he needed my help and I had to give it to him." Turning and placing his half-empty mug on the side table, he turned and reached for her hand.

"Of course you did, and that's one of the reasons I love you." he stated simply, pressing a kiss to her lips before stroking her cheek and climbing from the bed, heading to the en-suite. Serena exhaled, thankful Hanssen hadn't chosen to start an argument, as Edward had been the source of a few conflicts between them in the past. Hanssen didn't like the way he seemed to use Serena and run rings around her, she disagreed claiming he didn't understand because he'd never been married. One such argument had taken place after Edward had turned up at the house, unannounced, and proceeded to take Eleanor out to the cinema. Hanssen was all for father and daughter spending time together, of course he was, but not when it meant an evening that Serena had planned for mother and daughter was ruined. She'd allowed him to wear her down and play the 'I hardly ever see my daughter' card and she'd given in. Hanssen had watched as she'd waved her daughter off, crestfallen. It seemed that whenever Edward called, Eleanor jumped and at times, so did Serena. He stepped into the shower and couldn't help but think that maybe they'd never agree about Edward. Hanssen couldn't stand being around him, knowing what he'd done to Serena and how he'd hurt her. He wished he could have met her first, but as she'd pointed out one evening when he'd said that, she wouldn't have Eleanor. Stepping from the shower and heading back into the bedroom, he found Serena on the phone to her daughter, laughing at something she'd said.

"Yes just the three of us...I think it will be good...yes a sort of announcement I suppose...No I'm bloody well not pregnant you cheeky mare!" Hanssen's head snapped up at this and he looked at Serena with wide eyes. "...Sweetheart I'm going to have to go...Henrik looks like he's about to keel over...okay...love you too." Hanging up, she climbed from the bed and headed towards him, laughing at the expression on his face. "Don't look so terrified, I said I'm _not_ pregnant!" Reaching up and kissing him softly, she chuckled as he continued staring at her in shock.

"Why did Eleanor instantly jump to that conclusion?" he asked nervously.

"Because she's a teenager who enjoys embarrassing her mother!" she smiled, squeezing his arm gently. "I'm going to take a shower." Leaving him to his thoughts, Serena entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. Hanssen stood still, frozen in place. This wasn't something he had thought of before, but he found himself wondering what a child of part him, part Serena, would be like. Pulling himself from the thought, he headed to the wardrobe to get dressed and then stuck his head into the en-suite.

"Serena, I'm off." She opened the door to the shower cubicle and gave him a cheeky smile as she flicked off the water and stepped out, watching as Hanssen's eyes darkened and he swallowed stiffly. Reaching for the towel, she was stopped by Hanssen as his hands came to rest on hers. He continued staring at her for a few seconds and she knew what the look on his face meant.

"Henrik, we don't have time. You'll be late." she said sternly as he dropped his head to her shoulder and placed a kiss on it before moving along her clavicle doing the same. Breathing deeply, she raised a hand to the back of his head and closed her eyes as she lost herself in the feeling of his lips on her skin, his arms tight around her waist. "Henrik..." she warned as she felt him pressing against her. He paused and groaned as he stepped back, watching her wrap the towel around herself, a blush rising in her cheeks. She looked up at him and saw the frustration lurking in his eyes at the fact they'd been cut short. Smiling as she stepped towards him, she tweaked his tie and lowered her voice suggestively.

"We can always pick this up later. Build the suspense." Hanssen was using every ounce of his self control to not pull the towel from around her and carry her back into the bedroom, then calling in sick. Dropping a kiss on her lips, he squeezed her waist lightly causing her to yelp and he headed for the door before remembering something.

"You were arranging a meal with Eleanor? For what time?" he asked as Serena shrugged.

"She was going to get back to me, I finish at 6pm today and I know you'll probably finish just before that, so we can try and find a mutually convenient time." Nodding, Hanssen opened the door and headed into the bedroom, Serena following him.

"Well when she gets back to you, let me know."

"See you later, _Mr Hanssen_." Serena smirked and Hanssen smiled enigmatically at her before leaving the room and heading downstairs, grabbing his briefcase and hurrying out the door. The last thing he wanted to do was bump into Edward Campbell first thing in a morning.


End file.
